The Guardian reports on the state of supporter relations in Brazil:
‘Watching Brazil play at home involves paying sky-high ticket prices, then enduring dismal organisation and conditions -- unless you happen to be one of the hundreds of politicians or friends of sponsors invited for free.
‘Fans, who paid between 70 ($30) and 300 Real ($129) for tickets in a country where the minimum wage is 300 Real a month, were subjected to hours of queueing in the sun to get in.
‘Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay play their home games in front of intimidating crowds but the atmosphere when Brazil play bears more resemblance to a tennis match because the high costs exclude hardcore fans.
‘While poor Brazilians are reduced to watching the training session on the eve of the match, the rich get into the match itself for free. Brazilian media reported that hundreds of politicians were given complimentary tickets by the CBF while sponsors watched from specially built VIP stands behind the goals and were served free food and drink.’